Thursday, August 09, 2007

A woman waiting for 16 hours in line to become part of reality TV stardom that is American Idol came to a halt when she went into labor. Antoria Gillon, 20, of Dallas, wasn't expected to give birth until today, but that wasn't the case. She felt alright waiting outside the Texas Stadium on Monday, not expecting to go into labor.

"I felt something over my body when I was walking," she said in a telephone interview from her hospital bed Wednesday after giving birth to a healthy boy — her second — Tuesday morning.

"I knew right away what it was. I was singing, and the judge stopped and asked if I was OK, and I said, 'I just want to finish my song.' "

It was hip-hop trio 702's Get It Together, which aptly enough includes the lyrics, "I don't really wanna stay/I don't really wanna go."

"I said, 'Well, I haven't gotten my golden ticket yet,' " which would signal she made it to the next round.

Enduring intense contractions, she finished singing, got the familiar sheet of paper and only then climbed in.

Were producers swayed by her perseverance?

Gillon believes she made it to the second round with her vocal skills but admits, "They go by character and motivation, and I think I showed more than enough motivation."

The baby's name: Jamil Labarron Idol McCowan. "I just felt like it was more than appropriate," she says.

I have to admit that I am guilty of purchasing Baby Einstein products for my little one. Of course you want get the best for your child, especially if it helps your baby's development. I kinda feel stupid after reading the news that came out today.
Researchers are saying that babies who spend at least an hour a day with Baby Einstein DVDs and Videos understand around six to eight fewer words than the babies who are not watching them!

"The most important fact to come from this study is there is no clear evidence of a benefit coming from baby DVDs and videos, and there is some suggestion of harm," says Associate Professor Frederick Zimmerman of the University of Washington and colleagues.

"The bottom line is the more a child watches baby DVDs and videos, the bigger the effect. The amount of viewing does matter."